So, as part of the oral surgery madness, I had to attend a sleep clinic to make sure that they didn't need a machine go *ping* during the operation, as people with my jaw structure apparently often have sleep apnea. (Alternative explanations would include graft to friends in the medical profession or a stalling tactic by the surgeon going on maternity leave.)

So, I showed up at the clinic and found I'd been assigned to the Francisco Goya room. I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with Goya, but I know his work a bit. As I'd opened the door I wondered if I'd find one of his Black Paintings across from my bed. (Particularly Saturn Devouring His Son.)

They didn't tell me. I think they need to pass the results around, and have some glance at it for a few seconds and call me in so he can bill the government for his time. I don't think I do.

I think any sleeping issues I have can be the result of going to bed too late, and getting up to early. I often only can afford 4-5 hours sleep a night.

Have you ever tried controlling your dreams? Back when I remembered my dreams, I learned a trick to do that. You do not read in dreams the way you do in the waking world. Your brain can trick you into thinking you've read something, but you aren't properly reading it because reading and dreaming are controlled by separate hemispheres. So, as I nodded off, I mentally told myself over and over to grab a newspaper and force myself to read it by really focusing on the words -- not just gleaning a meaning but the words themselves. And I managed to do it. When I first looked, I said "Oh, I can understand this newspaper." But then focusing harder, I realized the actual words were gibberish, and I found myself with the ability to rewrite the whole dream.

Of course, it is possible that my actual dream was just a dream about having the ability to rewrite my dreams.

It's really strange that the sleep clinic would have paintings like that! I think even "The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters" is a bit disturbing. I don't think I've had a real nightmare for a while, but I'll sometimes have dreams with rather graphic images in them. Anywaaaaay, I hope attending this sleep clinic brings you that much closer to having your oral surgery.